Not a Happy Camper with the A139

[Nath]

@HonestReview I'm curious about mine units in summer temperatures since I measured about 48°C around the speaker vent with 21°C ambient. We had some warmed days recently but I haven't paid much of attention (my dashcams worked when I came to car, didn't check footage though).

I would NOT leave a regular old fashioned thermometer in the car, unless you like alcohol of worse yet Mercury all over the place.

And digital thermometer with a liquid crystal display ain't fun either, in most cases you'll return to a thermometer with the whole screen completely black, hoping it would be sucked back to have at least the thermometer functional again.

It needs something with an external probe and at least memory of max/min values.

 

[HonestReview]

@HonestReview I'm curious about mine units in summer temperatures since I measured about 48°C around the speaker vent with 21°C ambient. We had some warmed days recently but I haven't paid much of attention (my dashcams worked when I came to car, didn't check footage though).

If I owned a Thermal Reader, I could measure the actual casing and camera temperature. I do not own one and have no plans to waste money investing in a product I will never use very often.

With 26C outdoor Temperature and 40C on my car's digital thermometer, let's be generous and say the car interior got 54C in 25-30 minutes. I am coming to the car to find the camera is SHUT OFF and the last file being written CORRUPTED. On both Sandisk A2 Extreme 256GB and Sandisk High Endurance 256GB.

Issue is 100% camera.

1. My Camera is Faulty
2. All cameras have a design flaw and will overheat in summer temperature with low bitrate parking mode.

This is what we need to now determine.

I Emailed Viofo Support for Guidance. I have zero plans to keep camera if it performs worse than the ZenFox I ripped out that I got free. Especially since this camera was the equivalent of 205 Euros and was not given to me as a Beta Sample.

 

[Nath]

@HonestReview You need to pay more attention to other users. As @Nigel has pointed out above, if 26°C was forecasted temperature (in 99% cases means in shadow), and 40°C was measured by your car (the sensor is outside...) that really could mean any temperature inside your car even above the threshold of most dashcams. Not to mention the camera is pitch black and if it was exposed to direct sunlight...

Without anything to measure it with, those are just guesses and assumptions.

EDIT: And it also depends on a colour of your car. For instance my completely white car with white interior can get pretty toasty with ease, I can only imagine what about dark cars.

 

[HonestReview]

@HonestReview You need to pay more attention to other users. As @Nigel has pointed out above, if 26°C was forecasted temperature (in 99% cases means in shadow), and 40°C was measured by your car (the sensor is outside...) that really could mean any temperature inside your car even above the threshold of most dashcams. Not to mention the camera is pitch black and if it was exposed to direct sunlight...

Without anything to measure it with, those are just guesses and assumptions.

EDIT: And it also depends on a colour of your car. For instance my completely white car with white interior can get pretty toasty with ease, I can only imagine what about dark cars.

I am not arguing with you or @Nigel. I agree 100% with your statements. We are both saying the same thing.

1. Outdoor Temperature - 27C
2. Car in sunlight says outdoor temperature on digital thermometer- 40C
3. Car color comes into play. My car is a Metallic Gray
4. Interior of car is obviously enclosed and traps in heat. Making inside of car much hotter than outside.

I have no real way to state the actual temperature of the inside of my car. Unfortunately, when I tested the Zenfox, I couldn't find any reasonably priced thermometer that went up high enough. I am not going to invest in a Digital one that is pricey to prove a point we already know. Camera is getting too hot. Knowing how hot it's getting doesn't change the outcome. Be it my unit is faulty or a design flaw.

Then you made a good point. Dash Camera housing is black - Why pick an absorbent color!!!!

Now my point....27C is a VERY COMMON temperature and not even that hot. So if this camera cannot withstand heat and level of direct sunlight that almost all places in the world achieve, then there are two issues:

1. Housing is Black + Improper ventilation = Camera Overheating
2. I have a faulty unit.

 

[Nigel]

If I owned a Thermal Reader,

What we want to know is the air temperature around the camera, then we can see if it is working within the specifications/reasonable expectations. For that task you want a normal thermometer, no need for an IR thermal one.

Thermometers are not expensive, even IR ones.

I couldn't find any reasonably priced thermometer that went up high enough.

Try a cooking/oven thermometer…

40C on my car's digital thermometer, let's be generous and say the car interior got 54C in 25-30 minutes.

Your car interior near the roof is going to be much more than that, but without any measurement or information on where you are, nobody can sensibly help or advise. Not even VIOFO support.

 

[Nath]

Then you made a good point. Dash Camera housing is black - Why pick an absorbent color!!!!

Well few months ago I was asking the same thing and many users said they want a stealthy dashcam - which is IMHO reasonable request and that's probably the majority of the users. Too bad the most stealthiest colours are the dark ones. I was actually thinking about to have at least front shield made of thermochromic plastic which would change colour based on temperature...

Now my point....27C is a VERY COMMON temperature and not even that hot. So if this camera cannot withstand heat and level of direct sunlight that almost all places in the world achieve, then there are two issues:

But that's the problem, the forecasted temperature outside is irrelevant (especially because it's in shadow) for something like determining (means rather guessing...) temperature inside your car.

 

[Nigel]

Then you made a good point. Dash Camera housing is black - Why pick an absorbent color!!!!

Because black is the best colour for radiating heat

 

[Nath]

Because black is the best colour for radiating heat

Unfortunately it's also the best for heat absorbing and you have to admit that in terms of energy Sun holds primacy.

 

[Nigel]

Unfortunately it's also the best for heat absorbing and you have to admit that in terms of energy Sun holds primacy.

True, but the mount does most of the absorbing, the main camera body is mainly radiating, and with a low profile body, radiation is far more important than convection into hot air.

 

[HonestReview]

Well few months ago I was asking the same thing and many users said they want a stealthy dashcam - which is IMHO reasonable request and that's probably the majority of the users. Too bad the most stealthiest colours are the dark ones. I was actually thinking about to have at least front shield made of thermochromic plastic which would change colour based on temperature...


But that's the problem, the forecasted temperature outside is irrelevant (especially because it's in shadow) for something like determining (means rather guessing...) temperature inside your car.

Outdoor temperature is not irrelevant. We are talking a Sunny Day. Let's not convolute things here. Both you and I know that what I'm referring to is the camera was left outside, in the sunlight with few clouds on a 27C day. Never once did I say it was 27C and rainy, cloudy, etc.

Black absorbs heat. It's the ABSOLUTE WORST color to choose for reflecting sunlight. White or a bright casing color would be a wiser choice or less stealthy.

 

[HonestReview]

What we want to know is the air temperature around the camera, then we can see if it is working within the specifications/reasonable expectations. For that task you want a normal thermometer, no need for an IR thermal one.

Thermometers are not expensive, even IR ones.


Try a cooking/oven thermometer…



Your car interior near the roof is going to be much more than that, but without any measurement or information on where you are, nobody can sensibly help or advise. Not even VIOFO support.

Heat rises. So the floor with shade is color than the roof. Laws of physics.

1. Viofo chose to make the casing black. Absorbs Maximum Heat.
2. Anyone here can place their camera in direct sunlight on a 27C day for an hour and see if camera overheats.

Whether you own a white car, gray, or black, the interior will get sufficiently hot. By the way, vehicle is Metallic Gray but the interior is beige. Interior being black would also absorb more heat.

End of day, the only thing having a thermometer proves is how hot the car has gotten inside. Not really necessary since we know the camera is overheating. The only thing a Thermometer will show is APPROXIMATELY how hot the interior is at the time of overheating. Those numbers don't change the fact my A139 has overheated. It might aid someone else in replicated but as I said before:

27C is a very common temperature. It's not hard for someone to park their car in direct sunlight for 1 hr on a 27C day, and see if their camera shuts off, too.

Having my car's interior temperature or the camera body temperature would only matter if other's are not experiencing the same issues. Meaning my car is getting hotter than yours or I have a faulty camera.

 

[HonestReview]

True, but the mount does most of the absorbing, the main camera body is mainly radiating, and with a low profile body, radiation is far more important than convection into hot air.

Not true, my camera body is lava hot after being in the sun. Clearly absorbing a LOT OF HEAT.

 

[Nigel]

27C is a very common temperature. It's not hard for someone to park their car in direct sunlight for 1 hr on a 27C day, and see if their camera shuts off, too.

Hard for me, but I guess easy for those of you that live in Death Valley where car manufacturers send their products for high temperature testing!

In any case, your temperature according to your thermometer was 40 centigrade, so the 27 is irrelevant.

 

[HonestReview]

Hard for me, but I guess easy for those of you that live in Death Valley where car manufacturers send their products for high temperature testing!

In any case, your temperature according to your thermometer was 40 centigrade, so the 27 is irrelevant.

27C outdoor. 40C on the body of the car with sun beating on it. Only thing missing is my interior temperature at which it is overheating. However, anyone with a thermometer or car with digital thermometer can park their car outside on a sunny 27C day and measure the body temperature. Then let the camera run in an enclosed vehicle for an hour in direct sunlight.

Presumably, within a few degrees, the car interior should be sufficiently hot.

You are overlooking a simple point. I don't live in Death Valley! You cannot seem to grasp that the sun shining on METAL heats up the Metallic Surface, which then also heats up the interior. If I were in Death Valley, the outdoor temperature would be 48C and the Car Body probably 70C! And interior probably 100C!

death valley temperature - Google Search

www.google.com

My numbers 27C outside and 40C body temperature are normal heat indexes. Steps to Replicate:

1. Sunshine with few clouds
2. 26/27C outside.
3. Let car bake in sun.
4. Camera mounted at very top of windshield glass.
5. Car body is around 40C via thermometer or digital thermometer
6. See if camera shuts down and overheats.

 

[Nigel]

However, anyone with a thermometer or car with digital thermometer can park their car outside on a sunny 27C day and measure the body temperature.

Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and reach a high of 18 centigrade here, which is higher than the June average high, so no, I can’t do that test.

Your car thermometer should not be reading body temperature, they are designed to read air temperature accurately, especially a Volvo since it comes from Sweden where it is important to know if black ice may be forming on the road, so you want air temperature accurate to within one degree centigrade. Clearly you are parking it in a hot place, with a temperature significantly higher than the forecast. The forecast will be for an area well away from buildings, roads or concrete, and at a height of around 1m.

 

[HonestReview]

Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and reach a high of 18 centigrade here, which is higher than the June average high, so no, I can’t do that test.

Your car thermometer should not be reading body temperature, they are designed to read air temperature accurately, especially a Volvo since it comes from Sweden where it is important to know if black ice may be forming on the road, so you want air temperature accurate to within one degree centigrade. Clearly you are parking it in a hot place, with a temperature significantly higher than the forecast. The forecast will be for an area well away from buildings, roads or concrete, and at a height of around 1m.

I found a Meat Thermometer. I am going to place it on top of the A139 tomorrow's 26C/27C day. Maybe it'll give me a ball park of how hot the camera is along with the car during the heat of the day.

Yes I am intentionally parking away from the shade to simulate real life parking conditions where you can't always get shade.

I would expect the camera to be able to handle these conditions without any issue.

We will see what happens. Get an idea of how hot the car is when the camera shuts off. Since the Thermometer will rest on the flat surface mount

Here's a picture I took earlier in the day but didn't keep thermometer in there as I wanted to redo test during hottest part of day again.

Post results tomorrow. Let me know if this will be sufficient PLEASE.

Thermometer goes up to 200F / 93C.

 

[Nigel]

I found a Meat Thermometer. I am going to place it on top of the A139 tomorrow's 26C/27C day. Maybe it'll give me a ball park of how hot the camera is along with the car during the heat of the day.

Yes I am intentionally parking away from the shade to simulate real life parking conditions where you can't always get shade.

I would expect the camera to be able to handle these conditions without any issue.

We will see what happens. Get an idea of how hot the car is when the camera shuts off. Since the Thermometer will rest on the flat surface mount

Here's a picture I took earlier in the day but didn't keep thermometer in there as I wanted to redo test during hottest part of day again.

Post results tomorrow. Let me know if this will be sufficient PLEASE.

Thermometer goes up to 200F / 93C.

View attachment 56953

Note that the sensitive part of those is within 1cm of the tip.

You might need a jam thermometer if your meat thermometer only goes up to 93 centigrade! Cars can get hotter than that.

 

[jokiin]

You might need a jam thermometer if your meat thermometer only goes up to 93 centigrade! Cars can get hotter than that.

the memory cards are only rated up to 85°C, if his thermometer gets up to 93°C during testing then anything over that doesn't much matter, it would already be hotter than the hardware can support

 

[SawMaster]

the memory cards are only rated up to 85°C, if his thermometer gets up to 93°C during testing then anything over that doesn't much matter, it would already be hotter than the hardware can support

It is unrealistic to expect anything to work beyond the limits which the manufacturer says it has. It is unrealistic to blame a cam manufacturer for the limits of the card or the reverse of that. And it is unrealistic to expect a high-performance multi-channel cam to be among the most heat-tolerant when it clearly can't be.

I'm finding very few instances where it's claimed that the A139 is overheating, yet I'm seeing many instances where it isn't- even in more severe conditions. So I can't see this as a cam design problem, for if that was true then everyone (or nearly everyone) would be similarly affected, such as occurred with the T3. If there is an issue here then it would be due to faulty components or improper assembly, or it is card overheating. It's certainly not a cam design problem.

Phil

 

[HonestReview]

Note that the sensitive part of those is within 1cm of the tip.

You might need a jam thermometer if your meat thermometer only goes up to 93 centigrade! Cars can get hotter than that.

There's no way to get thermometer to remain on the surface of the camera unless I want to tape it to the camera itself. Which I do not, because the car gets hot and the tape may damage the camera.

So I am not sure any better means of making the thermometer stay.

FYI: It was cloudy today and weather expects clouds. So this test might have to be postponed until we get another sunny day with no clouds for the sun to hide behind.